Dark Star Orchestra

[THE WALKING DEADHEADS] Dude, do you remember in ’68 when the Dead segued from “Cryptical Envelopment” to “Drums” to “The Other One” to “Slippy Do Wa Takka” back to “Cryptical” and into a 20-minute ambient jam? Of course you fucking don’t. Because if you saw that, you were on a lot of good drugs, and even if you do remember, you probably made at least some of it up. So thank God for bootleg tapes, and for Chicago sextet Dark Star Orchestra, a group that has emerged as the world’s best Dead tribute act by following its idols’ rigorous touring schedule and presenting outstanding song-by-song recreations of actual sets, resulting in the ultimate flashback. And when they go from “Sugar Magnolia” to “Good Lovin’” and “Blind Lemon Jelly’s Broadstreet Breakdown,” somebody in the house is gonna have a hell of a case of deja vu. (Note: That last song is made up, but some Deadhead will surely will swear they’ve heard it before.)